20 replies to this topic

[Spartan]

The historic Evans Building on Dean/Kennedy Street will be converted into a downtown campus for Spartanburg Community College. This development is HUGE. Now there will be TWO colleges within the CBD only a few blocks from one another. This could provide some additional foot traffic on that end of downtown in conjunction with Upstate's downtown campus, and hopefully lead to more redevelopment on that end of Main Street. Being located downtown, the campus will be accessible to more people via SPARTA than the suburban campus.

The building used to be Evans Middle School and Spartanburg High School before that, if memory serves. Or was it Evans High School? Maybe some of you long timers can remember   Either way, this building should be ideally suited for classroom work. Last time I went in there it was to register to vote, and as I recall it needed some serious work.

SCC plans to spend $5-6 million to renovate the building into a LEED certified structure.

HJ Article

[Jael]

Spartan, on Jun 30 2009, 06:18 PM, said:

The building used to be Evans Middle School and Spartanburg High School before that, if memory serves. Or was it Evans High School?

It was Frank Evans High School from the early '20's until Spartan High was built out in Fernwood around 1960.  Then it became Evans Jr High.

[Sparkleman]

Jael, on Jun 30 2009, 06:54 PM, said:

It was Frank Evans High School from the early '20's until Spartan High was built out in Fernwood around 1960. Then it became Evans Jr High.

I went to Jr High there in the 70's for 2 years before heading to McCrackin in Hillbrook for my ninth grade there. I preferred being downtown but obviously it was not my call. Before that as Jael mentioned it was Spartan High and they were known as the Crimson Tide in those days. I am not sure when they became the Vikings or why they ever changed. At Evans we were the Eagles and were a powerhouse football team back in the day.

I also think this is a big boost for downtown. Maybe instead of building around retail or white collar business, education is the way to go. There are gonna be a lot more students downtown soon and there will need to be more restaurants to serve them.

[roads-scholar]

Sparkleman, on Jul 1 2009, 08:56 AM, said:

I went to Jr High there in the 70's for 2 years before heading to McCrackin in Hillbrook for my ninth grade there. I preferred being downtown but obviously it was not my call. Before that as Jael mentioned it was Spartan High and they were known as the Crimson Tide in those days. I am not sure when they became the Vikings or why they ever changed. At Evans we were the Eagles and were a powerhouse football team back in the day.

I also think this is a big boost for downtown. Maybe instead of building around retail or white collar business, education is the way to go. There are gonna be a lot more students downtown soon and there will need to be more restaurants to serve them.

Good point Sparkeman.  Maybe our entire approach has been wrong.  The "build it and they will come" strategy obviously hasn't worked.  The colleges will bring more folks downtown who can support the coffee shops, bars, and restaurants.

[Jael]

Sparkleman, on Jul 1 2009, 08:56 AM, said:

I am not sure when they became the Vikings or why they ever changed.

When Spartan High and Carver High were merged, both school's mascots and colors were retired and new ones were chosen for the new combined student body.  Needless to say, few of the existing students from either school was happy about the decision since they wanted to keep their own mascot/colors, but it was a good solution particularly after those classes had graduated and were gone.

[Spartan]

It can't be a build it in they will come attitude with everything, however, as Wild Wing has shown us, if it's something worth going to, if you build it they do shoe up.

Sparkleman, on Jul 1 2009, 08:56 AM, said:

I went to Jr High there in the 70's for 2 years before heading to McCrackin in Hillbrook for my ninth grade there. I preferred being downtown but obviously it was not my call. Before that as Jael mentioned it was Spartan High and they were known as the Crimson Tide in those days. I am not sure when they became the Vikings or why they ever changed. At Evans we were the Eagles and were a powerhouse football team back in the day.

I also think this is a big boost for downtown. Maybe instead of building around retail or white collar business, education is the way to go. There are gonna be a lot more students downtown soon and there will need to be more restaurants to serve them.

It changed from the Crimson Tide to the Vikings after desegregation.

Let's not get too far off topic though. The new SCC campus is going to be a great addition to downtown. I think that the only downside is that the parking lot there will probably never go away.

[Sparkleman]

Man we can deal with a freaking parking lot if we have got a new college campus coming downtown. That should be the least of our worries. Heck they may put an addition on it one day because you have the Kennedy St deck across the street.

[Spartan]

I was wondering what would happen to the offices already housed in the Evans Building. It would seem that nobody knows at this point. Until the existing stuff is relocated, the renovation work cannot happen. My suggestion is to use some of George Dean's excess space. Just don't 'government up' the historic part of main street.

HJ Article

[Spartan]

One of my goals is to start splitting out important topics into their own discussion threads. I think it will make finding the information you're looking for more simple, and hopefully encourage people to create their own threads. This thread should be the first of many over time.


Now we have a significant update on the SCC Downtown campus. Currently, they are waiting on the County to move out. The County, however, is not flush with money, so their options will be limited. The County Council is going to be presented options on February 8th.

SCC is still committed to the downtown campus... they're just waiting on the County to figure out what it can do.

Several options mentioned were moving the County offices to the Broadwalk building, the Dent Building on Fairforest Road -- which the county leases to house Parks and Recreation, Public Works and other departments --  or the Business Technology Center at Church and Commerce.

HJ Article

[Spartan]

The County is going to delay a decision on the Evans building until March or April. Not much new information other than they are going to seek federal funding for some or all of the project since no state money is available. It sounds like everyone is still on board with making this happen, its just a matter of time and money.

HJ Article

[hub-city]

Looks like the county is about to decide on where to locate the services currently at the Evans building.  They are leaning to refurbishing a shopping center on Chesnee Hwy in the Whitney community.  I think that this a great choice because it would help that area in redevelopment and although slightly out of the city limits, it is on a bus route.

Hopefully this will get the ball rolling on another downtown campus!!

ARTICLE

Edited by hub-city, 21 June 2010 - 08:22 AM.

[Spartan]

I thought that was a Bi-Lo or a Food Lion or something. When did that close?

I'm glad to see this moving forward, however, I think that services like that should be located in the center city somewhere, and at the very least within the corporate limits of the County Seat. We have plenty of other shopping centers in town that need refurbishing, and 170 jobs no longer located in downtown is not necessarily a step forward.

So, aside from that, I am excited about another downtown campus. I hope that the amount of students off sets the loss of employees downtown (I can't see why it wouldn't), and that we get some good synergy along Converse Street/Liberty Street between USC Upstate's campus and this one.

[Spartan]

This one passed with no problems. The County is going to raise taxes a for 4 years to pay for the relocation and upgrades to the new offices at the former Bi-Lo shopping center in Whitney (I got). SCC is going to seek historic designation of the building and apply for grants to help pay for the renovation. I hope they are able to restore the interior to look like it did originally.

HJ Article

[Sparkleman]

Spartan, on 22 June 2010 - 10:46 AM, said:

This one passed with no problems. The County is going to raise taxes a for 4 years to pay for the relocation and upgrades to the new offices at the former Bi-Lo shopping center in Whitney (I got). SCC is going to seek historic designation of the building and apply for grants to help pay for the renovation. I hope they are able to restore the interior to look like it did originally.

HJ Article

I went there for Jr High back in the mid 70's and the interior at that time sucked. Its always been a school (also SHS) so I can't imagine the original interior to be anything to get excited about.

[Ezekiel]

This will be SCC's fifth campus:  main, Cherokee, Tyger River (Duncan), Union technology center, and now downtown.  While I understand the desire to revitalize downtown, I'm not sure it's the County's responsibility.  And as I've said before, if SCC wants a downtown presence, I'd prefer it buy or lease one of the many vacant buildings in town.  Beaumont Mill comes to mind, but maybe it's not quite 'central' enoug for the powers that be.  In any event, if the county agencies currently in the Evans Building must be moved, I'd like to see them stay downtown as well.

[Spartan]

I picture the interior being remade somewhat like the old Arts building on Spring Street. usually buildings that were "improved" between about 1950 and 1990 just covered over the old stuff. I'm willing to bet the original interior was more ornate.

[westsider28]

The state has issued final approval for Spartanburg Community College's purchase of the Evans Building.  This will allow SCC to move forward with the downtown campus.  Renovations are likely to begin in summer 2011, with classes starting in spring 2013.

Herald-Journal article

[Spartan]

Updates:

Renovations are estimated at $8 million
Evans Building will be LEED certified
2,000 students are expected to attend the downtown campus
1,000 additional students for non-credit courses
The SCC Downtown Campus is expected to open in 2013

HJ Article

[citylife]

Sign now up on site. Opening slated for fall 2013.

[vandiverc]

I work for Marketing & PR at Spartanburg Community College. I am currently putting together a newsletter on the Downtown Campus and stumbled upon this forum in my research. I was wondering if any of you would give me permission to use some of your quotes in the newsletter for our Downtown Buzz section. If you're ok with this, please email me at vandiverc (at) sccsc (dot) edu. I would like to get your name to go along with your quote and maybe your job title. Thanks for your consideration!